Tips on Public Speaking: Going Over-Time

As you can imagine, I have attended a lot of seminars, meetings, conferences that featured amateur to professional speakers. And I have seen this happen no matter what level of expertise the speaker has… going over the time of their allotted presentation. In my book – this is a BIG NO NO. On so many levels.

By going over-time:

You are not in service to the audience. Some events have programs, schedules that are printed out with everyone's time slot. As your participants arrive, they are checking out these schedules and they are planning their day. What time are the breaks – so they can conduct business, check messages and network. They are seeing what time is lunch, to make sure where they are going and with whom. And they are checking to see what time the event ends so they can get back to whatever and whoever they have to get back to in the “real” world.

When you go over-time, you are disturbing this delicate balance of what they have planned for their day. And I ask you, would you appreciate the speaker, the program, when your schedule of what you have to take care of is disturbed because a speaker decided to take their allotted time and then go over because they thought their information was worthy of this over-time? No, I believe that this would not sit with you very well. Even though this may be the best information you need in your life at that moment… while you appreciate the information, you may not be as thankful that your time was abused.

You are not in service to the host, the producer of the event. When you produce your event (and I produce my Presentation Template Intensive – so I know first hand how this can affect an event) you have set a hard and fast schedule of the day. With all the strategic breaks to allow some of your speakers a prolonged back of room. A lunch has been planned to the minute with the hotel so that the banquet department can be ready for delivery of a hot meal. And an end to the event so that all the participants can leave on a high note and feeling good about your event so that they give you great word of mouth and encourage other people to come to your next event.

But… a speaker decides to go over-time. Let's say it is the first speaker in the first segment. Their segment is from 9AM till 10:30AM with a fifteen minute break to allow for the rest room and that speaker's back of room. And this speaker goes over-time by 15 minutes. Now that doesn't sound like a lot of time. But… do the math. They are now done at 10:45. The break is from 10:45 to 11AM. The next speaker goes up at 11AM. They are assigned the same 90 minutes. That means they are over at 12:30PM. And there you are — now you have lunch starting at 12:30 instead of 12 noon. The hotel is now off. The program is off. And it will pick up more time and who knows what time this event will end.

If you are this speaker – now you have a producer that is probably not going to invite you back. You have lost that source of income. You have a hotel that may not want to work with you. And you have an audience that does not appreciate you and your word of mouth is shot!

Never go over-time!

Here is my tip on public speaking: whatever time the host, the producer has given you to speak – you say “Yes” to that time. Then you write out a presentation that is five minutes less than the time you were given. So, if the producer gives you a 90 minute slot, you say “Yes” to the 90 minute slot. Then you write out an 85 minute presentation.

I have used this tip for over ten years… and I have never gone over time. The producer loves me and invites me back. The hotel appreciates it. And the audience always has a great experience with me.

What are your thoughts, comments? How do you feel when a speaker goes over-time? What has happened to you when you went over-time? I would love to know.

Ciao, Maurice